Palestinians Launch “Melh Al-Ard” Campaign

Hundreds of
Palestinians announced today the launching of “Melh
Al-Ard” (Salt of the Earth) campaign by reviving the
village of Ein Hijleh in the Jordan Valley on land belonging
to the Orthodox Church and St. Gerassimos monastery. The
campaign is launched in refusal of Israeli policies aimed at
Judaizing and annexing the Jordan Valley.

Campaign
organizers and participants declared,

We, the
daughters and sons of Palestine, announce today the revival
of Ein Hijleh village as part of Melh Al-Ard campaign in the
Jordan Valley. The action aims at refusing the political
status quo, especially given futile negotiations destroying
the rights of our people for liberation and claim to their
land.

Accordingly we have decided to revive an old
Palestinian Canaanite village in the Jordan Valley next to
so called “Route 90” linking the Dead Sea to Bisan. The
action is part of a continuous step against the Israeli
occupation’s plan to take over and annex the Jordan
Valley. This step is a popular act against Israeli
oppression of the Palestinian people and the constant
Judaization of the land.

From the village of Ein
Hijleh, we the participants announce that we hold tight to
our right to all occupied Palestinian lands. We refuse
Kerry’s Plan that will establish a disfigured Palestinian
state and recognizes the Israeli entity as a Jewish State.
Such a state will turn Palestinians living inside lands
occupied in 1948 into residents and visitors that can be
deported at anytime. We affirm the unity of our people and
their struggle wherever they are for our inalienable
rights.

Ein Hijleh village is located in what is
called “Area C” in the Jordan Valley, which is under
threat of annexation by Israeli policies and Kerry’s plan.
Therefore, we have decided to take charge and call for a
national action to protect the Jordan Valley and put an end
to the constant Judaization of Palestinian lands.

Based on our support of the Boycott, Divestment and
Sanctions Movement (BDS) we call upon our friends and
international solidarity groups to stand with the demands of
the Palestinian people and boycott all Israeli companies
including Israeli factories and companies that work in the
Jordan Valley and profit from Palestinian natural resources.

For instance, we ask you to boycott Mehadrin, the
largest Israeli exporter of fruits and vegetables, some of
which grown in the Jordan Valley. In addition, Hadiklaim,
that exports dates produced by Israeli settlers in the
Jordan Valley. We also call on you to boycott both Ahava and
Premier, cosmetics companies that use Dead Sea minerals to
produce its products.

Our Palestinian village is
located near Deir Hijleh or St. Gerassimos monastery, on
land that is property of the Orthodox monastery. The land
mainly consists of few deserted old houses and palm trees.
The white soil is highly concentrated with salt, and the
area is surrounded by lands taken and used by Israeli
settlers. An Israeli base is separating the land from Deir
Hijleh monastery which owns a property of about 1000 dunams,
some of which are taken by Israeli forces for the excuse of
“security reasons.”

The campaign, “Melh
A-lArd” (Salt of the Earth), quotes a phrase from the
bible, Matthew 13:5, which says, “You are the salt of the
earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be
made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except
to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” The name of our
village, Ein Hijleh, is based on the original Canaanite name
and the water spring (Ein) present there.

We the sons
and daughters of Ein Hijleh call upon our people to join the
struggle to revive the village and protect our rights,
history, culture, and land. Daughters and sons of Palestine,
be the salt of this earth and stay steadfast on
it.

Egyptian jets bombed Islamic State targets in Libya on Monday, a day after the group there released a video showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians, drawing Cairo directly into the conflict across its border. More>>

Ambassadors representing two countries under attack from ISIL, Bashar Ja’afari (right) of Syria, and Mohamed Ali Alhakim of Iraq, speak to journalists following the adoption of a Security Council resolution targeting sources of financing for ... More>>

Abdullah Abu Rahma, coordinator of the popular committee in the village of Bil’in where Kayla joined the protests, told ISM: “Kayla came to Palestine to stand in solidarity with us. She marched with us and faced the military that occupies our ... More>>

3 February 2015 – Parents in the United States must vaccinate their children against measles in order to maintain the high levels of immunity necessary in keeping outbreaks of the aggressively contagious virus small and contained, the United Nations World ... More>>

3 February 2015 – For the second time in as many days, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations Security Council have jointly condemned the brutal killing of a civilian by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) – this time deploring ... More>>